NEWSNew recyclable Optimist dinghy16/06/2022Save articleThe first recyclable Optimist sailing dinghy has been launched – a collaboration between Northern Light Composites (nl comp) and not-for-profit organisation Clean Sailors.SHOW FULLSCREENThe ecoOptimist has been developed by Northern Lights Composites and Clean Sailorsnl comp is an Italian company that researches and develops recyclable composites to help solve problems related to the end of life of fiberglass composites.“Much of the current, global Optimist class are imported plastic hulls which enter landfill at end of life,” said Holly Manvell, Clean Sailors founder. “It’s therefore super important to consider and develop how we produce this boat, and how we introduce our future sailors to a better way of sailing, at comparable cost – something that Northern Light Composites have managed to achieve.”The ecoOptimist dinghy is built from sustainable materials and more than 90% of the hull is currently recyclable with developments underway to make it 100% reliable.It is constructed from ampliTex natural fibre reinforcements with Atlas HPE core and resin which can then be reused to produce new components.Compared to conventional glass fibres, the organisations say flax fibres reduce the CO2 footprint of the composite and don’t rely on fossil resources for the production of the raw material.Instead, they take CO2 from the atmosphere during their growth and act as a natural CO2 sink during their lifetime.“Our advanced ampliTex flax fabrics are used throughout the hull laminates, matching the performance and weight of traditional glass laminates, but with much more attractive end-of-life options and environmental properties,” explained Paolo Dassi, marine and industry manager at Bcomp.“It is great to see that sustainability and our planet’s health are starting to become major priorities in the selection of boatbuilding materials.”Each ecoOptimist also features a sail by from OneSails, that has developed an ISO certified sustainable and recyclable sail fabric.
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